Gravy

Occasionally, Granny Foster would add leftover dredging flour and water to the frying pan to make a delicious brown gravy for spooning over the fried chicken and mashed potatoes. I make it just like she did, but I usually use chicken broth rather than water for added flavor.

As cuts of meat go, the turkey breast steak is a relatively new one and will please those who like their protein neat, mild, and fat free. This addition to the meat counter has its advantages for a quick supper. It can be sizzled in butter with a few aromatics (bay, black pepper, thyme sprigs, and a curl of orange rind tend to cheer it up). Turkey still reeks of Christmas, but the white meat less so than the legs, which always smell like a roasting Christmas lunch. Red cabbage makes a satisfactory accompaniment. Go further, with a few prunes and a bottle of Marsala, and you have something approaching a joyful Sunday lunch, though without a bone to pick.

Make one of these sauces in the hot skillet after you have cooked chicken breasts or pork chops.

Make one of these sauces in the hot skillet after you have cooked chicken breasts or pork chops.

Make one of these sauces in the hot skillet after you have cooked chicken breasts or pork chops.

Make one of these sauces in the hot skillet after you have cooked chicken breasts or pork chops.

Make one of these sauces in the hot skillet after you have cooked chicken breasts or pork chops.

Pat: My mother, Lorine, loved spending time in the kitchen and started cooking when she was a young girl. Friends knew her as the girl in school who enjoyed taking home-economics classes and collecting recipes, and when they went looking for her they knew where to go (the kitchen). Cooking is something she has kept at her whole life, so it’s no surprise that Momma has become the best gravy-maker in our family. What makes this recipe special is that Momma learned it from her mother. It’s an heirloom, and you’re gonna love it. Our family has never prepared “white” or cream gravies; we prefer what is called a brown flour gravy, meaning the flour is browned in fat before the liquid is added, which creates a particularly rich flavor. This recipe is meant to be a guide. Feel free to adjust the fat, flour, and liquid according to the amount you want to prepare. But the proportions we give are dead-on, and will result in one of the most delicious gravies you will ever prepare. It’s slammin’ over mashed potatoes, pork roast, fried chicken, and Gina’s Perfect Rice.

Most gravies are made from meat juices and a thickener called “roux,” a 50/50 combination of pure fat—like lard or butter—and white flour. This flourless, butterless gravy can be used as a stand-alone sauce for almost any roast meat or poultry—and even some fish like cod and salmon. Play around with it: add low-fat bacon pieces, chopped olives, parsley, tarragon, basil, roasted pearl onions, diced cooked sweet potatoes, lemon zest, crushed peppercorns—whatever you can think of that fits into your caloric budget.

A simply delicious sauce to serve over grains, veggie burgers, green vegetables, or mashed potatoes.

Serve this Deep South specialty with Cream Biscuits .

The foundation of this étouffée-like dish is a brown roux that lends a deep, nutty flavor. The gravy pairs well with the Grits Dressing , biscuits, and turkey.

Use John Currence's classic Southern gravy for smothering biscuits , with or without the fried chicken.

By the turn of the century, the North American turkey had become familiar British fare, replacing the traditional goose at many an English Christmas table. Here it is presented in classic American style with bread stuffing and accompanied by cranberry sauce, which at this period was more like a sauce than a preserve.

The technique: On Thanksgiving, do-aheads are key. This super-savory gravy can be made a day ahead. All you have to do before serving is heat it up and stir in some tarragon.
The payoff: No last-minute pan-scraping and reducing required.

The technique: Pan juices—the flavorful liquid and crispy bits left in the roasting pan— form the base of this gravy. To prevent lumps, thoroughly whisk in the flour, then gradually add the wine and stock, whisking until smooth.
The pay off: Super-roasty flavor.